Nate's story
by UnitedPen
Summary: Summary Nate is crushed after his breakup with Cody. His Dad is also giving him a lot of trouble. In fact, nothing seems to be going right in Nate's life at all. Will he be able to sort out his feelings and put his life back on track? R and R
1. Chapter 1

Nate's story chap. 1

Chap 1- The Truth  
Nate's P.O.V. (point of view)  
The morning sun had just started to rise but I had been up way earlier than dawn. A dream had awoken me fron my slumber halfway dead in the night. Realizing I wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, I snuck out to the lake for some solitude.

I was wrapped in a warm blanket but a slight chill in the air still touched me. I pulled the blanket closer and watched as the clouds broke away in the sky while the sun rose higher still. A perfect day to play tennis but the game didn't seem to matter much anymore. Nothing did.

It has been two weeks since Cody and I broke up. Two weeks since Adena told me Cody was going to break up with me. Yet I ended the relationship so I wouldn't be crushed inside. Turned out my plan backfired because my whole world seemed to be crashing down around me. I wanted so bad to forget Cody but that was turning out to be an impossible feat. Even my dream had been about her. I had been kissing Cody in out favourite reading spot on the bridge. Waking up had been so hard because I had to libe with the fact that that wasn't my reality anymore and I was forced to live without the beautiful face of Cody.

Far off the sound of horrible trumpet playing reached my ears. I winced, realizing it was Rick trying to wake up Cascadia with his "wonderful" music. All the students hated it except of course my dad who felt all Cascadians could use the early time to excerise and work on their tennis performance. Only my Dad would think of tennis at this nauseam. I wondered if all president's of tennis academy's were like that.

My muscles ached in protest as I stood up to go for an early breakfast which hopefully was cooked by Rick. I really didn't feel like facing anyone and going through wannabe emo jokes, especially from Squib. Figuring it was my best bet to grab some food and eat in my room, I started up the hill toward the cafeteria in Cascadia's main building.

As soon as I reached the cafeteria I realized my plan wasn't going to work. It seemed everyone had heard and awoken from Rick's trumpet calls and were now sitting around waiting for breakfast to be served. I spotted Squib, Cody, Jesse, Adena, Cassidy, and Sunny all sitting at a table, looking tired but still talking fiercly away; probably about tennis. I turned to leave quietly but Squib spotted me before I had the chance.

"Hey library boy why are you looking scared to join us? Think you're too cool for us or something. Cause you're wrong." Squib called out. Then he high-fived Jesse. I saw Sunny and some other kids laughing. Typical.

I winced. Those word's stung but I couldn't show I was hurt and get teased even more for being a pansy. So I retaliated.

"That's great Squib. Did you make that insult up in kindergarten?"

I got some grins of my own. Squib turned bright red in anger of my wit. I walked towards the table in mock triumph.

"Look , just come sit beside your precious girlfriend and shut up." Squib said a little more quietly.

I saw Cody freeze while I groaned inwardly. It was unbelievable that squib still didn't know about the split-up. cody looked over at me and I knew what she was thinking. Regardless of how much she wanted to keep the break-up a secret so Squib wouldn't come on to her, the secret couldn't last forever. It was time to tell Squib. I nodded slightly in silent agreement at her thoughts. Cody turned to Squib.

"Squib...Nate and I well we broke up."

Man those words hurt. To my surprise Squib started laughing while everyone else just looked shocked. Except of course Adena who had known about it all along. Anyway Squib started to speak.

"Ha I knew it couldn't last. I knew you were just rebound boy. I guess people can be too alike, hey Nate? You didn't mean anything, that's the truth."

O.K. that was way too harsh. I couldn't believe Squib could even be that mean. Words echohed from my past and I hurt so much inside that I ran out of the cafeteria not caring anymore what people thought.

Squib's P.O.V.

"What a wimp" I thought as I watched Nate run out with pleasure. A twinge of guilt passed through me as I maybe saw some tears in his eyes but I shook it off. Nate Bates would never cry. I turned my attention to the table.

"Why do you have to be so mean to Nate all the time? Shove everything in his face? Bring him down all the time?" Adena asked me.

I shrugged. "He deserves it. He does the same thing."

Adena opened her mouth to say something probably in defense but I had already turned my attention to the oddly quiet Cody.

"When did you dump him?" I asked excitedly. I could finally have Cody again. This was so great! " Did you break the news to him sometime this morning?" I went on in zeal. "Why did you do it. I bet he's still crushed?"

Cody wouldn't look at me as she spoke. "He dumped me about two weeks ago. I don't know why.

I was surprised. "He dumped you?" All the while I was sharing a dorm with Nate he would go no about how great she has and how much he loved her. There must be some logical explanation. "And two weeks ago? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because" Cody answered.

"Because why?"

"Just because Squib. Gosh, leave it alone for a while. I'm going to get some food." Cody snapped.

My mouth hung open as I watched her storm off across the room towards the food line.

Nate's P.O.V.

I ran into my room, slammed the door, and collapsed onto my bed in a crumpled heap. My eyes were shut tight trying to stop oncoming tears because I knew crying doesn't solve anything. This was useless. A tear leaked out of my eye and then another and then another. They were unstoppable.

Everything seemed unfair. Why was I always picked on? Why did Cody and I have to break up? Nothing was making sense. Turning over I let my exhausted body lure me to sleep.

Adena's P.O.V.  
Sitting in my room with Cassidy trying to finish math homework before class started, a nagging thought came to my head. Turning to my roomate who was sitting at her desk I asked my concerning thought.

"Hey Cassidy do you think Nate's ok?"

She looked up. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"I don't know. But look at him. He looks so tired these days. He barely eats and he picks at his food at meals. He always seems distant and preoccupied. He doesn't talk to anyone anymore."

"Nate's probably just upset over his break-up with Cody. Believe me I know how crushed you can get even if you do the dumping. It takes a while to get over. Besides if something is terribly wrong President Bates will notice won't he?" Cassidy said wisely.

"I guess." I replied, not throughly convinced.

Squib's P.O.V.  
"Hey Jesse wanna rally?" I asked. I could see the back courts through the window and being such a beautiful day, I thought why waste it?

"Sure let me grab my racquet." he called from the bathroom.

It took Jesse a while but we headed out successfully.

"Do you think I was too hard on Nate this morning?" I was thinking out loud again. Jesse looked at me knowingly.

"You were a little harsh. He just broke up with a girl remember. That hurts a whole lot. Just tone down the teasing a bit, that's what I'd do.

I nodded. "Yeah you're right. Thanks man."

"No problem."

We went off to play another marvelous game.

Cody P.O.V.  
_They say the truth can set you free. If so why do we sometimes feel so trapped with it._


	2. A Disappointment

Chapter 2-A Disappointment

Nate's P.O.V.

I woke up about mid-afternoon. Man had I been sleeping a long time after my tears had put me into my slumber. Yawning, I turned over and found myself staring at a picture of my mom which always sits on my bedside table. Heaven knows why I keep the picture there. It makes me sad everytime I look at the kind face of my mom. She was such a marvelous person. She was always laughing and full of life. Mom was also compassionate to other people, always trying to make peace in the world. She said she loved me and well, I thought she did until she left seven years ago when I was ten.

Just like that my mom suddenly packed and left. Must have been something I did. I can't help but blame myself. Why else would my mom have left everything she cared so much about? There was only one explanation. I was the disappointment who chased her away. I'm the disappointment who always upset my Dad into hysterics. I'm the disappointment...

A quick glance at the clock jerked me from my thoughts. 2:15 p.m.O great, I was 10 minutes late for my tennis match. Dad was going to kill me! Leaping out of bed, I changed into some tennis clothes and headed out to court C.

Cody's P.O.V.

"Hey Cody, what's up?" Adena had just barged into the faculty condo I shared with my dad right as I was in the middle of picking out tennis photos for my internship magazine.

I grinned feebly. "Weren't you ever taught to knock? I'm just choosing pictures, you know for the magazine I'm working for."

Adena nodded and sat down beside me leafing through the pictures. "These are awesome Cody!"

"Thanks" I watched as she stopped short at one picture. "Hey here's Nate and Squib playing a tennis match. They both look pretty competitive."

I realized this was Adena's "subtle" way of bringing the two boys up. Well, I wasn't falling for that when I didn't want to talk about them. So I cleared my throat and tried not to look uncomfortable. "Uh, Adena you want something to drink or eat.

She turned my way. "Cody you're changing the subject. C'mon, sweetie whats up? It's about Squib and Nate isn't it?"

Sighing heavily, I decided it would be best to answer her and not hold off the conversation. Get it over with. "O.K. yes, I have been thinking about the two a little bit.

Adena raised her eyebrows.

"O.K. quite a lot. It's just...it's just, well Adena, I have feeling for both of them, still! My mind keeps running in circles and won't let me decide who I like more and who I should talk to. I just can't choose."

Adena nodded wisely. "Cody it has to be hard. Dealing with the matter of love is never easy. Nate and Squib are both great guys and have great qualities. They both are so likeable. Cody you have to be fair to both of them. If you are going to choose, you have to deal with the fact you are going to hurt one of the guys. So if you are going to choose, please, please, listen to your heart, not just your head." 

After that speech Adena stood up. "I have a match in fifteen minutes. See you later ok?"

Waving goodbye, I watched Adena head out the door, hoping her words would help.

Nate's P.O.V.

I raced out to the courts in a panic. Must've set a record, I ran so fast. When I finally arrived, the whole court looked just as I suspected it would. There was the announcer sitting way up in his chair, about to announce that I was to be disqualified. Coach Brock was standing on the sideline, nervously checking his watch. And the man I dreaded to see was standing beside the coach; President Bates, my dad. He had just spotted me and had taken on the death stare he always gave me when I did something wrong. The stare was so chilling that I decided to cast my eyes downward until I reached my side of the net.

"And it looks like Nate Bates will not be forfeiting after all." the announcer called.

Trying not to look at my dad, I threw the tennis ball up into the air and landed my first serve.

"15/Love."

The match was over fairly quickly. I took the match easily; it was just some Group C named Henry. Sighing, I started to walk over to the bench for a drink and a towel. Unexpectedly, though my dad cornered me right before the bench. I rolled my eyes hoping this wouldn't get out of control.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why were you late?"

My face turned to colour of a bright red tomato. I muttered almost inaudibly under my breath, "Dad do we have to do this here.

I swear his voice got louder as he kept on yelling at me. Some lingerers in the stands had ever stopped, and were turning to watch the scene that was unfolding before their very eyes.

"Of course we have to talk about it! Do you no think it is important? There were scouts in the stands! That wasn't exactly a great impression you made.

Anger was starting to seize control of me. We were doing this fighting again, and frankly I was tired of the same words spilling out time after time. The two of us needed to resolve the issue and many others in a quiet talk. Now was not the time, so I figured the best way to stop me breaking down and my dad exploding would be to end the argument as quickly as possible. I immediately retaliated to try and get Dad to shut up.

"Dad does it really matter if I was a few minutes late? Those scouts saw me win OK? And that is who they want to recruit. Winners, who win their precious tournaments for them so they hoard the money in their pockets."

Dad looked so furious I wear he would swell up under the pressure. He opened his mouth to roar, but surprisingly his voice tuned down to an angry hiss.

"They are not going to hire a pro that doesn't have enough sense in his brain to show up to matches. I don't know what has been going on with you lately but you need your act together. Tennis is your life Nate."

He was so close to leaving to court when he turned back around to face me.

"Oh and you are grounded for a week for being tardy."

My eyes widened. "What! You can't ground for being a little late!"

Dad looked kind of smug. "Just watch me."

"Fine. It's a date then." I bit back sarcastically.

Dad was still talking, but thankfully walking away. "Just for the attitude, two weeks and janitorial duties." He jogged off to catch up with a CO.

I hurled my racket towards the fence in fury, catching a few curious stares. This was just horrible. It's not that I minded being grounded. Any time a son can spend with a father who hardly notices him is a blessing. Yet, some of the things my dad had said were really getting to me. Of course he didn't know what was going on with me lately. We hardly talk; I will try and bring my life up, but all Dad wants to talk about is tennis. And, who was he to say tennis was my life? In fact, though I did enjoy the game, there were other dreams I craved for, like being a musician. Only reason I took up the sport (two times) was to make my dad proud; something I couldn't accomplish. O sure, he could be proud of all the A-listers, but when I won a game Dad barely batted an eye. He was never proud of me.

Walking over to the fence to retrieve my racket, I struck up a goal in my mind. One day I would make Dad soar with pride as he watched me defeat unbeatable odds. When the day would come, I do not know, but it just had to!


End file.
